Apparatus and methods for accessing an information resource
View Patent ↗Methods and apparatus for accessing websites from a communication device, such as a mobile telephone, that allows ease of access by initiating access to the website utilizing reference data such as a telephone number of an entity or business. A website server includes a telephone number cross reference database that allows the server to locate a website associated with the telephone number that is served by the server. Further features include automatic redirection to a website when the telephone of the entity or business is busy.
1. A method of accessing a web page from a web enabled telephone, the method comprising:
receiving a phone number at the web enabled telephone;
transmitting a voice call initiation message if a user of the web enabled telephone enters a first command, the voice call initiation message including first data indicative of the phone number;
transmitting a web page request message if a user of the web enabled telephone enters a second command, the second command being different than the first command, the web page request message including second data indicative of the phone number; and
transmitting the voice call initiation message in response to a determination that no web page is associated with the phone number in a predetermined database.
2. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising determining a web page address based on the phone number.
3. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the web page request message in response to a determination that a busy signal is associated with the phone number.
4. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the web enabled telephone is a Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) telephone.
5. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first command is entered when the user presses a button indicative of a send function.
6. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second command is entered when the user presses a button indicative of a send function twice.
7. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising redirecting the web page request message to a web server.
8. A method of accessing a website comprising:
receiving a telephone number within a web enabled telephone;
transmitting a request for website link information concerning the website, which is associated with the telephone number, using the received telephone number;
receiving a notification whether a website exists and the website link information concerning the website when the website exists;
transmitting a voice call initiation message if a user of the web enabled telephone enters a first command, the voice call initiation message including first data indicative of the phone number;
transmitting a webpage access command using the website link information if the user of the web enabled telephone enters a second command, the second command being different than the first command, the web page request message including second data indicative of the telephone number; and
transmitting a voice call initiation message in response to a determination that no webpage is associated with the telephone number.
9. A method of serving a web page, the method comprising:
receiving a web page request message from a web enabled telephone, the web page request message including data indicative of a phone number;
determining a web page address based on the data indicative of the phone number;
initiating a data transfer from a server associated with the web page address to the web enabled telephone; and
transmitting a voice call initiation message in response to a determination that no webpage address is associated with the input phone number.
10. A method according to claim 9 , further comprising:
determining whether the web page exists on a local server that determines the web page address; and
issuing a redirect command to an external server to initiate data transfer to the web enabled telephone when the web page does not exist on the local server.
11. A method according to claim 9 , wherein server is used for determining the web page address based on the phone number and initiating the data transfer.
12. A method according to claim 9 , wherein the web enabled telephone is selected from the group consisting of a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a notebook computer and a desktop computer.
13. A method according to claim 9 , further comprising determining a presentation language for the web page based on a detected type of browser.
14. An apparatus for accessing a web page comprising:
a web enabled communication device configured to:
receive an input phone number;
transmit a voice call initiation message when a first command is initiated in the web enabled communication device using the input phone number;
transmit a webpage request message when a second command different from the first command is initiated in the web enabled communication device to access a web page associated with the input phone number, the second command including data indicative of the phone number; and
transmit a voice call initiation message in response to a determination that no webpage is associated with the input phone number.
15. An apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the web enabled communication device comprises a Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) telephone.
16. An apparatus for serving a web page comprising:
a web server configured to:
receive a webpage request from a web enabled communication device, for a webpage associated with an entity, the request including data indicative of a phone number associated with the entity;
determine whether the web server stores the webpage based on the data indicative of a phone number;
initiate data transfer of the webpage from the server to the web enabled communication device if the web server determines the webpage is stored by the web server; and
cause a voice telephone call to be initiated in response to a determination that no webpage is associated with the input phone number.
17. An apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the web server is further configured to issue a redirect command to an external server to initiate data transfer from the external server to the web enabled communication device when the web server determines that it does not store the web page.
18. A method of accessing a web page from a web enabled telephone, the method comprising:
receiving a phone number at the web enabled telephone;
transmitting a voice call initiation message if a user of the web enabled telephone enters a first command, the voice call initiation message including first data indicative of the phone number;
transmitting a web page request message if a user of the web enabled telephone enters a second command, the second command being different than the first command, the web page request message including second data indicative of the phone number; and
transmitting the web page request message in response to a determination that a busy signal is associated with the phone number.
19. A method as defined in claim 18 , wherein the web enabled telephone is a Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) telephone.
20. A method as defined in claim 18 , wherein the first command is entered when the user presses a button indicative of a send function.